Adaptation and Natural Selection: A Critique of Some Current Evolutionary Thought  •  George C. Williams NATURAL HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES A foundation in any Darwinist library, this classic essay first published in 1966 is an elegant argument for the significance of natural selection at the level of the individual organism. (NAT18, $29.95)
Alfred Russel Wallace, A Life  •  Peter Raby BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2002 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES A re-evaluation of the man and his accomplishments as a traveler, scientist and intellectual. By the author of "Bright Paradise, Victorian Scientific Travelers," Raby is an appreciative, lively biographer who captures the tremendous spirit and energy of Wallace. Co-presenter with Charles Darwin of the original paradigm-shattering paper on natural selection, Wallace is here given his due as a great (if sometimes misguided) naturalist and collector. (MSA15, $22.95)
Ancestral Passions, The Leakey Family and the Quest for Humankind's Beginnings  •  Virginia Morell BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1996 •  PAPER  • 640 PAGES A biography of the Leakey family, documenting their discoveries and their vast contributions to the field of paleontology. Controversial, but dedicated to their science, the Leakeys have been instrumental in tracing human origins to East Africa. The book covers the lives and work of Richard, Louis and Mary as well as successive generations of the family. (EAF76, $38.95)
The Beak of the Finch, A Story of Evolution in our Time  •  Jonathan Weiner NATURAL HISTORY •  1995 •  PAPER  • 332 PAGES An entire book about two biologists studying drab finches on a desert island? This Pulitzer Prize-winning work is an accessible look at the modern debate on the mode and rhythm of evolution-- using the story of Peter and Rosemary Grant and their field work on Daphne Major as an example. The Beak of the Finch is readable, illuminating and authoritative -- a classic example of great science writing. (GPS08, $14.95)
Becoming Human, Evolution and Human Uniqueness  •  Ian Tattersall ARCHAEOLOGY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 258 PAGES A cultural history of our tribe, Tattersall offers a wide-ranging, thought-provoking tour of human origins and culture from an anthropologist's point of view. His focus is, in part, on the human ability to represent the world in symbol and art. A curator in the department of anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History and popular author, Tattersall is an opinionated, cultured guide to Homo sapiens. (NAT45, $14.00)
Bones of Contention, Controversies in the Search for Human Origins  •  Roger Lewin NATURAL HISTORY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 3605 PAGES Tackling the giants. Lewin, a science writer who has worked with Richard Leakey, outlines the issues, debates and personalities in paleoanthropology this even-handed, fascinating account. (ATP05, $27.50)
The Causes of Evolution  •  John S. Haldane NATURAL HISTORY •  1990 •  PAPER  • 222 PAGES A reprint of the 1932 classic by the great geneticist, this book sparkles with Haldane's logic and rigor. It's a classic of science writing, still of great interest to those with an interest in population biology and evolution. (NAT17, $24.95)
Charles Darwin, The Power of Place  •  Janet Browne BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2003 •  PAPER  • 624 PAGES The second half of Browne's magisterial history, full of insight into Victorian science. In this big, engrossing volume she follows the fate of Darwin, and his ideas, from the return of the voyage of the Beagle until his death. (GBR375, $25.95)
Darwin and the Barnacle, the Story of One Tiny Creature and History's Most Spectacular Scientific Breakthrough  •  Rebecca Stott NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES In this surprisingly wonderful book, Rebecca Stott tackles Darwin's early and important interest in -- barnacles! Returning from his mind-altering, five-year voyage around the world, Darwin devoted eight years to a systematic study of the perplexing pedunculated cirripedes (showing definitively that they were highly modified custaceans), both winning the respect of fellow researchers and setting the groundwork for his ideas about evolution through natural selection. Stott pleasurably interweaves biography and science, capturing Darwin's love of nature. (NAT65, $14.95)
Darwin and the General Reader: The Reception of Darwin's Theory of Evolution in the British Periodical Press, 1859-1872  •  Alvar Ellegard  •  David L. Hull HISTORY •  1990 •  PAPER  • 394 PAGES (NAT25, $32.00)
Darwin for Beginners  •  Jonathan Miller HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 176 PAGES The man and his ideas, presented in graphic cartoon style by the multi-talented Jonathan Miller. (NAT21, $12.00)
Darwin on Evolution, The Development of the Theory of Natural Selection  •  David Kohn SCIENCE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 350 PAGES The editors, both historians of science, present excerpts from Darwin's many books in this choice reader on the development of the idea of evolution. (NAT103, $14.95)
Darwin's Ghost, The Origin of Species Updates  •  Steve Jones SCIENCE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 377 PAGES A reworking of the "Origin of Species" by a popular science writer, making good use of the original chapter headings and structure of Darwin's 1859 bestseller -- and incorporating what we've learned since, regarding the origin of species by means of natural selection. (NAT33, $15.95)
Darwin, Discovering the Tree of Life  •  Niles Eldredge BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES A companion book to an exhibition organized by the American Museum of Natural History (November 19, 2005 - May 29, 2006), this richly illustrated celebration of Darwin, his life and ideas, brings together manuscripts, artifacts and materials collected by Darwin aboard the Beage with curator Eldredge's illuminating essays on natural selection. (NAT82, $35.00)
Darwin, The Life of a Tormented Evolutionist  •  Adrian Desmond  •  James Moore BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1994 •  PAPER  • 808 PAGES An influential, vividly written biography of Darwin. (GEN13, $23.95)
The Darwinian Revolution, Science Red in Tooth and Claw  •  Michael Ruse NATURAL HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 346 PAGES A classic of modern evolutionary thought synthesizes Darwin's thinking -- and the profound effect it has had on scientific inquiry from 1830-1875. Ruse , a professor of zoology and philosophy, sets the context for prevailing ideas in Darwin's youth, painting in detail the revolution fueled by publication of "On the Origin of Species." Originally published in 1979, the author provides a new afterword for this edition. (HSC09, $24.00)
Darwinism and Its Discontents  •  Michael Ruse SCIENCE •  2008 •  PAPER  • 326 PAGES A historian and philosopher, Ruse lays out the facts of evolution along with the mechanism, challenges, science and philosophy in this articulate appreciation and overview of " the single best idea anyone has ever had." This book, based in part on a lecture series, synthesizes many decades of work by Ruse. (SCI164, $19.99)
The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex  •  Charles Darwin SCIENCE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 864 PAGES Darwin's great work on human evolution, published to much controversy in 1871. This Penguin Classics edition includes an introduction by Adrian Desmond. (NAT87, $17.00)
Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches  •  Peter R. Grant  •  Jonathan Weiner NATURAL HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 492 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE A scholarly, readable account of Grant's comprehensive study of Darwin's finches, including a forward by Jonathan Weiner (who wrote "Beak of the Finch") and an update by Peter Grant -- who has devoted his life's work to the evolution and ecology of these curious Galapagos birds. For those not put off by charts and tables and the language of population ecology, it's a fascinating book and an excellent example of a long-term ecological study. A volume in "Princeton Science Library" and modern classic of evolution first published in 1986. With 20 color illustrations. (GPS44, $41.00)
Ecology, A Pocket Guide  •  Ernest Callenbach NATURAL HISTORY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 175 PAGES The updated, 10th-anniversary edition of this handy reference has new sections on biotechnology, global warming and other essential topics. (NAT157, $13.95)
Endless Forms Most Beautiful, The New Science of Evo Devo and The Making of the Animal Kingdom  •  Sean B. Carroll SCIENCE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES Evolutionary developmental biology explained by a leader in the field. (SCI177, $16.95)
Ever Since Darwin, Reflections in Natural History  •  Stephen Jay Gould NATURAL HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES In these delightful essays, enormously well infomed, thoughtful and a joy to read, Gould effortlessly explicates the wonders of evolution. His essay on Darwin's theory of evolution is utterly dead-on. (NAT15, $15.95)
Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, And Sexuality in Nature And People  •  Joan Roughgarden SCIENCE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 474 PAGES Citing as evidence the sexual diversity found among birds, reptiles, fish and mammals, Roughgarden argues against traditionally held concepts of gender in the natural world and challenges the biases of conventional biology. (SCI206, $18.95)
Evolution's Workshop, God and Science on the Galapagos Islands  •  Edward J. Larson SCIENCE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES • BEST SELLER A vivid history of the Galapagos -- and the role of the islands as a crucible of evolutionary ideas. Along with Darwin, it covers the discovery of the islands, the visits of Hancock and Beebe, the influence of the United States during WWII and the establishment of the national park. Pulitzer Prize-winning Larson, a historian of science, has also written about the Scopes trial (Summer for the Gods) and the creationist controversy in the United States (Trial and Error). (GPS50, $16.95)
Evolution, The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory  •  Edward Larson NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and historian Edward Larson examines the multifaceted history of the scientific theory which has had such an impact on twentieth century thought. Larson begins his study before Darwin, with the scientific breakthroughs of the French Revolution, and then examines Darwin's work and its effects, from the age of Social Darwinism up to present day genetics and evolutionary studies. He focuses on the social and political controversies that have surrounded evolutionary theory, particularly in the United States. (NAT64, $14.95)
Evolution, The Triumph of an Idea  •  Carl Zimmer SCIENCE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 487 PAGES The companion book to the PBS series of the same name. It's an excellent, concise overview of the history and concepts of evolution, clearly written and well illustrated. Stephen Jay Gould supplies the introduction. (SCI155, $15.95)
Extinct Humans  •  Ian Tattersall  •  Jeffrey Schwartz ARCHAEOLOGY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES An illustrated overview of the origin of our species, rewarding for both the scholar and interested general reader. Tattersall and Schwartz, as knowledgeable as anyone with the six-million-year hominid fossil record, explore the history of our species in this masterly synthesis of archaeological discovery. It features good color photographs of key evidence. (NAT46, $30.00)
From Lucy to Language  •  Donald Johanson  •  Blake Edgar ARCHAEOLOGY •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES A strikingly illustrated survey of hominid evolution, featuring stunning color photographs of significant fossils, tools, and cave art, revised, updated and expanded for this second edition. Nearly all the early hominid remains are photographed in full color, mostly at actual size. Johanson supplies the concise, admirably clear accompanying text. (EAF85, $65.00)
From So Simple a Beginning, Darwin's Four Great Books  •  Charles Darwin  •  E.O. Wilson SCIENCE •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 1504 PAGES A beautifully presented omnibus edition, in a slipcase, of the Voyage of the Beagle, Origin of Species, Descent of Man, and the Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals, each with an introductory essay by E.O. Wilson. (NAT83, $39.95)
Headless Males Make Great Lovers and Other Unusual Natural Histories  •  Marty Crump NATURAL HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 199 PAGES A collection of essays celebrating the many interesting and just plain weird ways of evolution, including the titular essay on the reproductive strategy of the male preying mantis. Crump is an engaging writer, conveying both the wonder and science of sexual selection, raising young, avoiding predators, feeding and communication. Her examples are outstanding. (NAT90, $14.00)
The Human Career, Human Biological and Cultural Origins  •  Richard G. Klein REFERENCE •  1999 •  HARD COVER  • 810 PAGES An overview of human evolution, first published in 1989, and now substantially revised to reflect the current understanding of paleoanthrolopology. It's a popular textbook for university courses. (AFR74, $55.00)
Inherit the Wind  •  Jerome Lawrence  •  Robert E. Lee LITERATURE •  1982 •  PAPER  • 129 PAGES A classic drama of a biology teacher accused of teaching evolution to his students, based on the events of the 1925 Scopes Trial in Dayton, Tennessee. (USS180, $5.99)
Lowly Origin: Where, When, and Why Our Ancestors First Stood Up  •  Jonathan Kingdon NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 408 PAGES In this provocative book the ever-erudite, entertaining Jonathan Kingdon tackles bipedalism, a significant step in the evolution of our species. Written for a popular audience, Kingdon, both in sparkling prose and with his own original drawings, presents the evolutionary and ecological history of walking. With 55 black-and-white drawings. 16 line illustrations. two tables and 22 maps. Highly recommended. (ATP16, $57.50)
Lucy's Legacy, The Quest for Human Origins  •  Donald Johanson SCIENCE •  2009 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES • COMING IN MARCH Paleoanthropologist Johanson explores the breakthrough findings since the 'Lucy' skeleton was unearthed in his follow up to Lucy: The Beginnings of Mankind. (ATP21, $25.00)
Lucy's Legacy, The Quest for Human Origins  •  Donald Johanson SCIENCE •  2009 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES • COMING IN MARCH Paleoanthropologist Johanson explores the breakthrough findings since the 'Lucy' skeleton was unearthed in his follow up to Lucy: The Beginnings of Mankind. (ATP21, $25.00)
Lucy, The Beginnings of Humankind  •  Maitland Armstrong Edey  •  Donald Johanson ARCHAEOLOGY •  1990 •  PAPER  • 409 PAGES The original, influential account of the development of human evolution and, especially, of the thrilling discovery of Lucy in 1974. It includes an account of the four field seasons in Hadar, Ethiopia from 1967-1977. (ATP06, $17.00)
The Making of the Fittest, DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution  •  Sean B. Carroll SCIENCE •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES Carroll shows, in elegant detail, how changes in DNA demonstrate evolution by natural selection. (SCI176, $25.95)
The Monkey in the Mirror, Essays on the Science of What Makes Us Human  •  Ian Tattersall SCIENCE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 203 PAGES A lively, literate collection of essays on evolution, evolutionary change and the diversity of hominids by the popular American Museum of Natural History curator and writer. (ATP11, $14.00)
Monkeyluv, and Other Essays on Our Lives as Animals  •  Robert M. Sapolsky SCIENCE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 20224 PAGES An elegant, entertaining collection of 18 short essays by our favorite neurobiologist. The gifted Sapolsky, a professor at Stanford who mostly studies baboons, is a spirited, witty guide to understanding evolution, what makes us what we are, the interaction between genes and environment, the limits of knowledge and other big questions, all of which he tackles with humor and deft prose. These chapters originally appeared in Natural History, The Sciences, Discover and other magazines. (ATP17, $14.00)
On Natural Selection  •  Charles Darwin SCIENCE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES Darwin's original essay on evolution presented in tandem with a paper by Alfred Russel Wallace to the Linnean Society on July 1, 1858. This is a book in Penguin's gorgeously produced Great Ideas series. (NAT84, $10.00)
The Plausibility of Life, Resolving Darwin's Dilemma  •  Marc W. Kirschner  •  John Gerhart SCIENCE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES A lucid explanation of the evolution of diversity of life on Earth and, in particular, the relation between natural selection and development. (NAT121, $18.00)
Reluctant Mr. Darwin, An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Making of His Theory of Evolution  •  David Quammen NATURAL HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES • NEW David Quammen hits just the right note in this sprightly tale of the man, his ideas and their impact. Not just a marvelous and witty writer with a conversational style, Quammen (Flight of the Iguana, Song of the Dodo, etc.) also has an uncanny ability, in full display in this extended essay, to express complex ideas with clarity. (NAT94, $14.95)
The Theory of Island Biogeography  •  E.O. Wilson  •  Robert MacArthur SCIENCE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES Wilson and MacArthur's landmark essay on the ecology and evolution of island species is not just for tropical ecologists, it's also fascinating for the general reader. A classic of theoretical ecology (and chock full of math), the authors also put forth their arguments in clear, captivating prose. (SCI203, $45.00)
Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and His Search for the Origins of Behavior  •  Jonathan Weiner BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2000 •  PAPER  • 199 PAGES An engrossing scientific biography of Seymour Benzer, the fruit-fly geneticist who has done much to further our understanding of molecular biology. Jonathan Weiner, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Beak of The Finch, combines interviews and reporting with an uncanny ability to write clearly about complex science. (HSC12, $15.00)
Why Darwin Matters, The Case Against Intelligent Design  •  Michael Shermer SCIENCE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES A primer on evolution by natural selection. (SCI178, $14.00)